The invention relates to new and useful improvements in practice devices for the game of golf.
While it is well known to practice golf on driving ranges having considerable area, and in which standard clubs and golf balls are utilized, nevertheless it is often desirable to practice the strokes of golf in a much more restricted location either in a residence or in the yard thereof.
Under these circumstances, it is not feasible to utilize standard golf balls because of the distance such balls travel when struck by a golf club, the only exception being the use of a putter for putting practice.
Lightweight synthetic plastic golf balls are known which comprise spheres which are multi-apertured but which still travel a considerable distance when struck with conventional golf clubs other than putters and can damage surroundings and/or people which might be struck thereby.
Other art known to applicant includes U.S. Pat. No. 4,596,392 issued to Grant W. Walker on June 24, 1986. This shows a practice ball for use in simulated golf driving which has a clay like energy absorbing deformable cores surrounded by an openwork or knit fabric carrying a powder readily dislodged upon impact of said pallet with a hard surface. This requires a target against which the pellet is driven, said pellet being relatively heavy.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,071,379 issued to E. W. Ramsey Jan. 1, 1963. This shows a cover for a driver or wood formed with two plies of elastomeric material and used with a conventional golf ball. When the ball is struck, the plies adhere together thus indicating where the ball was struck.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,325,168 issued to R. V. Fyanes, June 13, 1967. This again shows an attachment for a golf club such as a wood which includes an elongated barbed spike extending substantially perpendicular to the striking face of the club. This impinges upon a practice ball and impales the ball thereon so that the golfer can ascertain exactly where the ball is being struck. With the last two patents the cover or mounting harness is configured for attachment to one type of club, such as wood.
The closest reference known is U.S. Pat. No. 4,149,726 issued to W. B. Tredway Sr., on Apr. 17, 1979. This uses a resilient elongated "ball" filled with sponge rubber having a cover formed of a hook or loop material which co-acts with the opposite material secured to the face of the training golf club. This training golf club is a special club having the hook or loop material tautly stretched across a cavity formed in the base portion.
With some of the known practice systems, it would be very difficult to make them universally applicable to all clubs, including woods and irons. Where this is possible, several practice clubs are required to allow practice with each of the conventional woods and irons.
Where special practice clubs are used, it is difficult to match the player's real clubs as to weight, balance, shaft length and flexibility, etc., which generally detracts from the value normally received by the player if using his own clubs.
The present invention overcomes disadvantages inherent with known prior art and one aspect of the invention includes a golf club practice device formed from a material comprising a hook component co-acting with a loop component and comprising one component of said hook and loop material formed into an elongated strip having a length greater than the width thereof and means to detachably secure said strip across the ball engaging face of a conventional golf club and a strip engaging "ball" formed from the other of said components of said hook and loop material. The term "ball", including the quotion marks, is used in this application to designate a target object that is not a sphere, but is used in place of the normal spherical golf ball for practice purposes.
Another aspect of the invention is to provide, in combination with a golf club having a shaft and a head secured on one end of said shaft, said head including a substantially planar ball striking face on one side thereof, and a golf practice device formed from a material comprising a hook component co-acting with a loop component, one component of said hook and loop material being formed into a strip having a length substantially greater than the width thereof and means to detachably secure said one component across said ball engaging face of said golf club and a strip engaging "ball" formed from the other of said components of said hook and loop material.
A further aspect of the invention is to provide a device which can readily be incorporated in a temporary manner upon the face of any golf club whether it be a wood or iron and in which the "ball" can detachably adhere to the striking face of the head when struck. Furthermore, the strip on the face of the head of the golf club is easily removed and transferred to any other club. Furthermore, the invention does not add any appreciable weight to the club nor does it upset the balance thereof, this enables the player to utilize his or her own clubs without any noticeable effect on the weight or balance.
The use of the present device permits the golfer to ascertain exactly where the "ball" has engaged the striking face of the club due to the adhesion of the "ball" with the portion of the device detachably secured to the face of the club.
Still another advantage of the invention is to utilize the two components of hook and loop material manufactured under the trademark "Velcro" (T.M.) or equivalent types of material.
Another advantage is to provide a device of the character herewithin described which is simple in construction, economical in manufacture and otherwise well suited to the purposes for which it is designed.
With the foregoing in view, and other advantages as will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention relates as this specification proceeds, the invention is herein described by reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, which includes a description of the best mode known to the applicant and of the preferred typical embodiment of the principles of the present invention, in which: